The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

with them, and congratulated the Church of God, that at Torgau, so pure
and sincere a Lutheran Confession had been set forth. He who reads them
now, is more likely to be surprised at Selneccer's change from this opinion,
than at his having formed it. The Calvinists themselves complained bitterly
of the severity of these Articles against them. Their leaders are named, their
views stated and refuted. Beza, who was named in them more than once,
wrote an answer to them. Hospinian regards them as the basis of the
Formula of Concord. Even Hutter 214 says that "the something of the
Calvinistic jugglings latent in them is found in very few places," and
attributes their defects either to the writers' want of full information about
the points at issue, or to a charity which hoped by softness of style to win
the enemies of truth to accept it. In a time ill which sad experience had
found no reason for jealous care, these Torgau Articles would probably
have been regarded by all as Selneccer first regarded them. A long
succession of causes of distrust can alone account for their being
suspected.
IX. 1575. The SUABIAN-SAXON FORMULA OF CONCORD,
mainly the work of Chemnitz and Chytraeus, appeared in 1575. This is not
to be confounded with the Confession of the Churches of Lower Saxony,
prepared by the same hands, 1571. The "Exposition" of Andreae was well
received by the Würtemberg theologians, but the Doctors of Lower
Saxony, dissatisfied with it, desired Chemnitz and Chytraeus to elaborate
on it as a basis the Suabian-Saxon Formula, which was sent back after
careful revision by the representatives of the churches to Würtemberg.
This Formula became a general ground-work of the Formula of Concord.
Second period.
THE SECOND PERIOD of the history of the Book of Concord
follows the preparation of the Suabian-Saxon Formula (1575) and ends
with the completion of the Torgau Formula. The most important points
embraced in it, are these:
I. 1576. Feb. The Convention at Lichtenberg. Augustus, Elector of
Saxony, saw that though the work of uniting the Church was begun, it was
very far from completion. Under
214 Concordia Concor. ch. v.